Howard County Bird Club
Sewells Orchard Park Detailed Information
This neighborhood park, designed around four storm water management ponds, is for passive recreation only.
Habitat: Sewell’s Orchard Park consists of three tandem storm water management ponds which flow west to east and are surrounded by wooded areas, ornamentals, and second-growth. Most of the park is within 100-200 feet of residential structures. A fourth, more secluded, satellite pond is located approximately 1,000 feet south of the main park. Water levels of all the ponds fluctuate with seasonal precipitation. Algae overgrowth tends to occur in the summer months. Pond 3 (P-3), the largest as well as the easternmost pond, has a small marshy area and extensive open water. The other three ponds consist of open water surrounded by cattails and other freshwater
plants. During warmer monthes, the invasive yellow-flowered plant, Creeping Primrose Willow (Jussiaea repens), is present in extensive patches.
Layout: Although there are multiple entry points to the park, the easiest is via Sewell’s Orchard Drive which intersects with Loring Drive. In addition, the park can be accessed from Hidden Clearing or the BGE right-of-way pathways that run from Dobbin Road to Sewell’s Orchard Drive. Parking is best along Sewell’s Orchard Drive where there is ample curbside space. The three main ponds are separated by three different foot bridges that serve as good viewing platforms. Additionally, there are two piers in the largest of the three contiguous ponds (P-3). A paved path encircles P-2 and P-3; a grassy trail adjacent to a portion of P-1 allows views of most of that pond. Access to the fourth pond can be tricky, but its seclusion is an advantage. To reach the fourth pond, park on Loring Drive. Be careful to avoid the multiple no parking areas. Do not park in lined parking spaces since they are reserved for residents. Once parked, walk to Oakland Mills Road, turn left, and continue to the BGE driveway on the west side of the road, halfway between Malindy Circle and Loring Drive.
Best Time to Visit: Early morning and evening are the best times. Because this area also serves as a park for the residents of Sewell’s Orchard, mid-day can be quite busy, especially on weekends. Birding can be interesting throughout the year. Winter, especially when the lakes are ice-covered, tends to have less species diversity than the other three seasons.
Birding: From Oakland Mills Road, turn onto Sewell’s Orchard Drive and continue just past Waveland Way. The park entrance is on the left. A one-mile paved path encircles the two lower ponds. Turn left when entering the park and continue to the bridge that allows views of the sluice between P-1 and P-2. In spring, this area has provided good views of nesting Green Herons. Orchard Orioles and Yellow Warblers are common in the trees near the bridge in spring and summer. After crossing the bridge, turn left. A short paved path leads to the more secluded upper pond (P-1), where Hooded Mergansers stop in late March and early April. Fledgling Green Herons were easily observed at its eastern end in May 2008, and Cooper’s Hawks have been spotted with nesting material. Black-crowned Night-Herons have also been known to visit here, as well as the eastern end of P-3. Although there is no paved path around P-1, the area adjacent to the water is public land, so you can walk part of the way around it. Caspian Terns and Belted Kingfishers have been known to fish all of the ponds. Water birds include migrant Ring-necked Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, and American Coot, in addition to resident Mallards and Canada Geese. The richest area of the park for woodland birds is the far eastern area of P-3 and the paved path below the dam. Warblers that have been observed here in the spring and summer include Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Pine, Palm, Blackpoll, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Regular visitors to the taller trees and scrub at the bottom of the dam include common woodpecker species, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed and Red-eyed vireos, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, and Baltimore Oriole. Red-shouldered Hawks frequent this area as well.
The paved Columbia Association path along the BGE right-of-way at the southwestern corner of the dam follows a creek to a bridge which allows access to Dobbin Road. There is also an unpaved path on the same right-of-way which goes west uphill through field habitat under the transmission towers. The trees and shrubs in these areas will usually yield Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, and Eastern Towhee. Birding at P-4 is similar to the other three ponds, in that the species diversity is nearly the same. The advantage to this pond is its seclusion. Therefore, during the day when the main park is heavily used by recreation seekers, the fourth pond usually remains quiet and deserted, increasing its birding potential.
Highlights: The ponds are the biggest attraction since they allow for a nice array of waterfowl during migration. The secluded portion of P-1 usually accounts for most of the surprises. It can be scanned easily with binoculars but offers no direct trail access. The easternmost end of P-3 is the richest for woodland species. In addition, a variety of dragonflies, butterflies, turtles, and frogs may be observed from spring into fall.
Handicapped Access: The paved path around the three main contiguous ponds makes for easy access. A paved road does lead to the fourth satellite pond, but it does not surround the pond; therefore access to this pond is more difficult.